Hugs and Cookies
by LadeeBear
Summary: It was a momentous few weeks for Sonny Monroe, for many reasons. Chad/Sonny one-shot. Follow-up to 1x20, "Cookie Monster." Spoilers for the episode, so don't read if you don't want to be spoiled!


**Dear wonderful readers: upon reading a tweet from my fellow SWAC lover Carrie (also known around here as **sonnycentral**), I received a link on YouTube for the new episode "Cookie Monster." I watched it, loved it, and encourage you all to do the same. It's a really funny episode with a sweet Channy moment and quite a few funny ones. You can find the episode by searching "Sonny With a Chance Cookie" in YouTube. If for some reason you cannot find it, message me and I will send you a direct link. :) **

**Anyway, in light of that episode, I decided to write a little one-shot. Never fear, for those of you who are reading "The List," because I plan on updating sometime between now and Tuesday. So please, sit back, relax, and read!**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. But I do own the cookies I am eating as I am writing this story. What? I have to stick with the theme here. ;)_

_Spoilers: SPOILERS FOR "COOKIE MONSTER" (episode 1x20) FOLLOW. DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED. …you think that's enough warning?_

* * *

"Hugs and Cookies"

It was official.

Sonny Monroe was a Blossom Scout. As she delicately cradled the hot pink sash in her hands, the brunette beamed. In fact, she had smiled all the way back from the commissary. She was just so ecstatic that her eight year dream had finally come to fruition.

Well, that and the fact that she and Zora had _totally _beaten Chad Dylan Cooper and Dakota.

Tawni waltzed into the room, sighing contentedly as she admired herself from her compact. "It's so nice to look at me again," the blonde said with a smile.

Sonny bounced over to where Tawni was and waved her sash around with excitement. "I'm a Blossom Scout!" she cried. The brunette motioned to the sash in her hand. "See? Zora and I ended up tying with Chad and Dakota, but then Chad had a box of cookies left. So we were going to sell them until Chad dumped the box of cookies in his mouth, and then…"

Holding up a hand to silence her roommate, Tawni stared. "You are interrupting my 'me' time." And with that, the actress flipped back open her compact and stared at it lovingly. "I'm sorry I left you," she whispered into it.

Sonny, of course, arched an eyebrow in utter bewilderment. Instead of dwelling on Tawni's odd and egocentric behavior, however, the teenager slipped on her sash and skipped out of the room in order to locate Zora.

On her search for her fellow Blossom Scout, Sonny sighed with contentment. It was just so surreal to her. She wondered exactly _why _being a Blossom Scout meant so much to her. As the actress meandered through the halls, she came to the realization that being a part of the Blossom Scouts gave her self-confidence. Sonny hadn't always been the most popular child, nor the most confident. And when the Blossom Scout sash had been ripped away – literally – from her, her little eight-year old self had felt something tear inside of her spirit. It was almost a confirmation of what she had been telling herself – she wasn't, nor would she ever be, good enough.

And even though she was now a sixteen-year old star of a successful children's sketch comedy show, some part of that eight-year old little girl still lived in Sonny Monroe. The sash was just fabric, she knew. But it was what the sash represented that made her feel different somehow. It was the satisfaction of knowing that she had finally accomplished something worthwile. And it was knowing that she helped Zora become a winner as well that gave her a smile as she strolled through Condor studios.

* * *

"Guys, I'm so excited because tomorrow…"

"We know," Nico replied with a roll of his eyes. He set his tray beside Tawni's at their usual table in the commissary before finishing: "You've been talking about it _non-stop_ for the past week."

Sonny frowned. "I haven't mentioned it that much."

Nico, Tawni, Zora, and Grady all shared a look and conspicuously began shoving forkfuls of food into their mouths. Sonny gaped. "I haven't been that bad," she exclaimed. After a pause, the brunette added as an afterthought: "…have I?"

Zora swallowed her spaghetti and shook her head. "We all know you're just excited. You like to babble about things you're excited about. It's part of who you are."

Sonny opened her mouth to argue before closing it slowly. Zora had a point.

"I still don't get why this whole Blossom Scout thing is a big deal," Tawni said, sneaking glances of her reflection in the napkin holder. "All you do is put badges on a sash."

Resisting the urge to make a comment about Tawni's vanity, the brunette leaned forward on the table and explained. "It's not about how many badges you earn on your sash. It's about the learning experience you get from each of them. And it's about the friendships you form, the morals you're taught, and the satisfaction of knowing that you have the power to make a difference in the world."

After a brief pause, Tawni asked: "…you learn all of that from selling cookies?"

Sonny chose to ignore the question and instead turned to Zora. "Are you excited for the jamboree tomorrow?"

Zora opened her mouth, perhaps to make a quick-witted response, but after seeing Sonny's genuinely happy face, the girl closed her mouth and smiled. "I am. It'll be cool to have you there with me."

"Isn't there an age limit to be a Blossom Scout?"

The table turned and glared at the little girl who stood before them, clutching a muffin.

"Evil," Zora hissed.

Dakota merely batted her eyelashes innocently and smiled, reminding Sonny of a Cheshire cat that had just been caught eating a bird.

"Dakota," Sonny said, narrowing her eyes. "for your information, the answer is no. There is not an age limit to become a Blossom Scout."

"Good thing they didn't have a height requirement," Nico said, looking at Dakota. The table erupted in laughter as the little girl huffed and stared daggers at the actors and actresses.

"Look, Dakota," Sonny began, "you lost. We both know that you're not Blossom Scout material. Just let it go."

"The only reason _you _won," Dakota countered, "was because Chad choked."

"Literally," Zora mumbled.

"If it hadn't been for that, you wouldn't be so cheery today, Monroe." The little girl sauntered away from the table, pigtails flicking behind her.

"How can so much evil be in such a tiny body?" Grady asked aloud. Nico shrugged, and the girls shared equally puzzled looks.

"One of the mysteries of the universe," Sonny quipped.

* * *

"I still think it's really weird that she was _your _Blossom Scout leader," Zora remarked as she and Sonny headed toward the prop house.

"Well, you know what they say," the brunette replied. "It's a small world." Sonny let her sash dangle from her arm and was swinging it back and forth as she rounded a corner. Unfortunately, the aforementioned sash smacked someone in the face.

"What the…"

Chad sputtered as he swatted the pink article of clothing away from his face. Sonny let out a giggle and Zora clutched her side laughing. Chad, however, did not look amused.

"You shouldn't go around swinging that thing," he exclaimed, smoothing out his hair. "It's dangerous!"

Sonny arched an eyebrow as she and Zora looked at one another. "Uh, dangerous for who, Chad? It's a piece of cloth."

"Yeah, well," the blonde stammered. "You – you just shouldn't do it!"

Zora rolled her eyes and looked from Sonny to Chad with interest. She smirked and shook her head. They could be so oblivous sometimes. "Anyway," the girl said, elongating the word, "I'm going to check on my air vents. I'll leave you two alone. But if you guys decide to battle it out again, just give me a shout. I'll be able to hear you. Trust me."

Zora departed, skipping to the prop house. Sonny looked at Chad with disdain, and he looked at her the same, wrinkling his nose. Though, he noticed how she seemed to have a glow about her. In fact, for the past week, she had been brighter, cheerier – and for Sonny Monroe, that was saying something. His stomach lurched momentarily. Maybe she was dating someone. Maybe she was even in love with the guy. Wasn't that one of the symptoms of being in love, after all – the glow?

Chad felt that he was dwelling on his inner thoughts for too long, so he coughed and furrowed his eyebrows at his companion. "So why have you been extra cheery this week, Monroe? Put a little extra pep in your breakfast?"

Sonny rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I'll have you know that I am just excited to finally be a Blossom Scout."

"Yeah," Chad said, mustering up a voice of boredom, "why is that so important to you anyway?"

Chad noticed that Sonny frowned and appeared to be thinking. Her chocolate eyes blinked as Chad studied her. "I don't know," she honestly replied. "Maybe it has something to do with me wanting to feel a sense of accomplishment."

Chad couldn't help but laugh in response. "So being on the number one comedy show for tweens doesn't cut it for you?" he asked sarcastically.

"Never mind. You wouldn't understand," she mumbled, brushing past the actor and heading toward the prop house.

Chad reached out a hand and grasped Sonny's wrist. The brunette whipped her head around and noticed that the blonde had tugged, unsettling her in her step and pulling her a bit closer to himself. Chad found his heart race a bit faster as Sonny's eyes connected with his with confusion. It was then that he realized he was still holding onto her wrist without providing an explantion.

"Try me."

Sonny frowned. "What?"

The blonde licked his lips before continuing. "You said I wouldn't understand," he reiterated. "Try me."

The young woman removed herself from Chad's grasp before sighing. "I'm not like you, okay? I don't have this overwhelming ego…"

Chad placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "Ouch, Sonny."

Sonny rolled her eyes. "Seriously, I'm not like you." The brunette paused before continuing. "As egotistical and vain as you may be, Chad, the one thing you don't lack is confidence. You know who you are, and you project that to others. When I was a kid, I lost that, and I've never fully recovered it. Being a Blossom Scout, as cheesy as it may sound, helped me regain that sense of purpose and confidence, I guess."

As Chad listened to Sonny's explanation, his blue eyes grew warmer. "I didn't know that, Sonny."

The brunette turned her attention to the floor where she was tracing patterns on the carpet with the toe of her shoe. "It's not something I go around and broadcast to the world, Cooper," she explained.

Upon hearing his surname, the blonde smiled at his companion, who smiled back. Sonny in that moment, felt a flutter of butterflies erupt in the pit of her stomach. Chad did have a gorgeous smile, whether she admitted it aloud or not.

Seemingly realizing where he was, Chad cleared his throat and broke eye contact. "So, I should probably head to rehearsal now. I'm trying to avoid Dakota, so if you happen to see her…please don't send her my way."

Sonny chuckled and nodded her head in agreement. "Deal. But I expect the same thing to go for me," she replied. "I already saw her once today, and I think that's enough Dakota Condor to sustain me for, oh, the rest of my life."

"She's such a crazy manipulator!" Chad whispered loudly.

Sonny nodded her head with a laugh, and parting nod before beginning her walk toward the prop house. Chad waved his hand slightly as a goodbye before he headed in the opposite direction toward the _Mackenzie Falls _set. Something like a weight seemed to settle on Chad's chest though as he took a few steps down the hallway. He knew that there was one matter left unresolved.

"Sonny."

The young woman turned around with a puzzled expression etched onto her face. Head tilted curiously to the side, she watched as Chad turned on his heels to reapproach her. His face stretched into a genuine smile.

"I forgot something," he explained. Sonny was prepared to open her mouth to ask exactly what Chad could have forgotten, but at that moment, he wrapped his arms around her. Stunned at first, Sonny quickly became very comfortable in Chad's arms, winding her arms around his waist. She snuggled her head into his chest and noticed for the first time how good he smelled. It was a mixture of sorts, definitely sugary and yet strong. Almost like a combination of spices and rain.

Chad beamed and felt a glow, a sort of warmth, within him when Sonny sighed with contentment. So this was the moment that chick flicks and romance novels had always talked about – that one moment where time seemed to stand still and you wish you could stay in the moment forever. He rested his chin atop Sonny's head and noticed how perfectly she seemed to fit with him.

Unfortunately for both of them, time – and rehearsals – still existed, and Marshall's voice boomed out of the speakers above them. "Will the cast of _So Random! _please report to stage three?"

The pair broke apart from their hug abruptly and a moment of awkward silence followed. "So, uh, what was that for?" Sonny asked hesitantly.

"Well," Chad explained, "I figured I'd redeem myself. I didn't hug you when you needed it a few weeks ago. So, that's your…raincheck hug," he explained.

Sonny laughed and raised an eyebrow. "A raincheck hug?" she echoed.

"Yeah," Chad defended. The actor popped his collar. "but don't expect them all the time now, or anything," he finished.

Sonny scoffed. "Pft, I never asked for a hug. _You _offered."

"Yeah, well…" Chad trailed off mid-sentence, trying to improv some sort of rebuttal. Instead, he found himself shaking his head. "you win."

"Good," the brunette said with a grin. "I believe that's two points for team Sonny, and zero for Chad."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Monroe."

"Fine," Sonny snapped.

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good," Chad countered, glaring. He stared at her outfit before remarking: "And have fun with the Blossom Scouts."

Sonny too narrowed her eyes as Chad trotted off down the hall toward his own set. She frowned, bewildered. Typical Chad – one moment he was being sweet and sensitive, and the next, he was back to acting like…well, a jerk.

Zora's voice startled Sonny from her thoughts. "You're still in the hall?" she asked, pigtails swinging from side to side.

"Yeah," Sonny replied absentmindedly. The pair began walking toward stage three. "I had a little chat with Chad after you left," she explained.

Zora nodded in understanding. "So he found the cookies?"

Sonny frowned in confusion. "Uh, what are you talking about?"

The girl's eyes danced playfully and she grinned in the same way she did whenever she had hatched a plot. "You'll see."

Sure enough, as the duo passed Chad Dylan Cooper's dressing room, they heard a shriek, followed by the aformentioned blonde heartthrob throwing open his dressing room door and emerging looking quite disheveled.

Sonny didn't even need to ask – as Chad cantered down the hallway, she was able to sneak a peek into the room and nearly doubled over with laughter. For there, before her eyes, was the sight of hundreds of Blossom Scout cookie boxes stacked to the ceiling of Chad Dylan Cooper's dressing room.

* * *

**Well, there you have it! I hope you all enjoyed the story! I thought it was cute that Sonny was about to hug Chad in the episode. But then, Chad being his typical self had to ruin it. Oh well…at least he gets redeemed in my story. ;) Plus, I think Zora pranking Chad by filling almost his entire dressing room with Blossom Scout cookies would be amusing. **

**Feel free to read and review as you please! Again, to all of my "The List" fans, don't worry, I WILL be updating soon, I promise! :) **


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